First Lady of Bandhavgarh: Kankati Tigress

First Lady of Bandhavgarh: Kankati Tigress 

Here is a tale of a tigress called "Vijaya" aka "Kankati" from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. The day started with probably the most favorable luck, when we saw her for 1hr 7mins at chakradhara at Tala zone of the majestic tiger reserve of Madhya Pradesh - Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. Special thanks to Mukesh Burman and Bikas.

Surrounded by hillocks, Chakradhara is a pristine place with arid grassland. The landscape itself is too harsh for the grasses to grow. Monsoon rainwater, stored in the pockets of limestone, helps the avi-fauna to sustain in this region. ____________________________________________________________________

For the first time when I saw her, she looked majestic as she looked in her previously photographed images. Lying on her back side, she was taking rest in Chakradhara meadows, not bothered of our presence and paid no attention to us. Rather she was keeping her eyes on a herd of deer yards away from her. ____________________________________________________________________

(Merged few frames: tracking down prey) All on a sudden she started moving towards the herd of deer grazing around 25-30 yards away from her. Watching her movement towards the deer herd pumped up my adrenaline and I felt very much thrilled inside. She was gem of Bandhavgarh. The name kankati means "who has ripped earlobe". Earlier she fought against a tigress called Laxmi and lost her left eye; while she was moving into her prime. ____________________________________________________________________

It turned into a flop, when she sat on the ground again. "Patience is the key in wildlife photography" - keeping these words in mind, me along with Tamanud and Soumyajit didn't move our gypsy a single inch and waited for long 15 minutes. Those 15 minutes was much like hell. Firstly, she was at a very distant place from us and secondly, all of us expected to see some real time action. Spent time as if we are the spectators of a silent era movie. ____________________________________________________________________

(Merged few frames: tracking down prey) That time she was around 20 yards away from the herd. Felt sleepy sitting in the gypsy, until she moved her arse again. I was not ready with my camera and acted like a full metal alchemist - Perplexed. Gathering hope, I was ready with my gun and took few snaps of stocking. Within a minute she covered a distance of 10 yards. She was 10 yards closer than that of her previous position. ____________________________________________________________________

(Merged few frames: tracking down prey) Time was running out very fast for the safari and at the same time I was running out of my budget memory card space of camera. Photographed her movement of stalking. Not again!! She did it again. She fooled all of us aging, sitting on the ground. ____________________________________________________________________

No she didn't sit idle. She was crawling, very slowly, very cautiously. Moving inch by inch. Trying to get closer to the herd without making a mistake. Moving on her knees, she showed patience. Impatience is a thing not to be proud of. You lack patience, you miss your meal. Perhaps this was the "Mantra", she ____________________________________________________________________

(Merged few frames: tracking down prey) This is how she moved as close as 8 feet distance from the herd. Palpitation, perspiration and camera shake. She didn't move a bit from her position for 1 minute. For a photographer this is a breath taking moment. At last success will come for both. ____________________________________________________________________

No!! The most wanted moment didn't appear. She was so upset so as we. One out of fifteen to twenty attacks are successful in their world. Poor Kankati!!! Her meal disappeared in front of her eyes. ____________________________________________________________________

The whole gallery of viewers from both end witnessed her frustration. Walking like a defeated/flop heroine she was leaving the floor of Chakradhara. We photographers were not ready to accept that. However, we took some welcome snap of her and greeted her. ____________________________________________________________________

Flehmen performed by kankati with the neck stretched and the head held high in the air. The behavior facilitates the transfer of pheromones and other scents into the vomeronasal organ located above the roof of the mouth via a duct which exits just behind the front teeth of the animal. ____________________________________________________________________

Territory marking is another behavioral trait of tigers like other cat species around the world. By doing this they secure their territory and draw a invisible line from each other. A tigress at its prime can hold an area of around 5-10 sqkm. ____________________________________________________________________

Flehmen response can also be shown by curling back its upper lips exposing its front teeth. These are some beautiful behavioral traits of tigers. It may be performed over a site or substance of particular interest to the animal (e.g. urine or faeces). Here, tigress Kankati is doing both, urinating and flehmen. ____________________________________________________________________

Now for the first time we saw her closely from a distance of 30 feet. Lost her left eye during the fight with Langri aka Laxmi. Her right earlobe is also ripped for which she is known by such name - "Kankati". A healthy female like she is looked bold and beautiful. The awesomeness in her attitude tells us she is a perfect mother of two litters. For the first time she gave birth three and later she became mother of another four. On both occasions litters were fathered by the king of Bandhavgarh aka Bamera. ____________________________________________________________________

I got her perfect portrait. But the time she looked at me from a distance of around 20', I became perplexed again. Then she took her position beneath a nearby bamboo thicket. ____________________________________________________________________

This is definitely not the best shooted yawning picture at all. This is just a mere documentation of tiger behavioral trait. One can see from this picture that her right canine is blunt. Checked out thoroughly in Net, but didn't find any clue of such a dentary change. It may happen with age. But the time she was photographed, she is just 7. Can't put down any conclusion in my observation. Maybe some veteran can help out my problem. ____________________________________________________________________

Showing all these actions she moved out to quench her thirst towards a nearby talab. Talab (in hindi)means isolated pockets of water body in which water remains even in the driest seasons. Animals from different strata like ungulates, macaques come down to talabs. ____________________________________________________________________

Kankati drinking water from talab, to hydrate her body and to put resistance against scorching sun over her head. In most of the areas covering the central Indian plateau, temperature difference between day and night sometimes well beyond 30-35 degree. ____________________________________________________________________

After quenching her thirst she decided it is the time to leave the stage, she started walking parallel to the gypsy track. Stopped at few few places and scent marked that area and moved on. ____________________________________________________________________

This one is the last photograph of kankati on 19th just before crossing gypsy track. From that day I became one of the greatest fan of Kankati. Like elder Madhuri Dixit or recent time Parineeti Chopra she had a bold appeal. In recent time during our Bandhavgarh trip in April '13 also, I have photographed her and saw her twice on a single day. Well, this note is a documentation of the event with some information about Kankati. ____________________________________________________________________